Ace Records' two most recent entries in its Songwriter Series of collections both spotlight artists who bucked tradition to forge their own paths at the end of the 1960s and the dawn of the 1970s: Leon Russell and Kris Kristofferson. As we wrote upon his passing in 2016 at the age of 74, Leon Russell was an extraordinary talent unlike any other: A true renaissance man and an extraordinary talent as composer, musician, arranger, producer, and artist, The Master of Space and Time led many
Record subscription service Vinyl Me Please has announced the latest batch of reissues for this month, February, and March. These are split into three tracks: Essentials, curated from an array of genres; Classics, which focuses primarily on soul, jazz, and R&B; and Rap & Hip-Hop, which spotlights favorites These include lost classics from the Stax and Motown vaults, John Prine's masterful self-titled album, overlooked hip-hop gems, and a landmark rock album from the turn of the new
When the latest sequel/reboot of Shaft hit screens this past June, one essential element was missing: the music of Isaac Hayes. While the late composer-artist's seminal "Theme from Shaft" was referenced in Christopher Lennertz's score, Hayes' commanding voice was nowhere to be found - some said to the detriment of the film. While the new Shaft underperformed in theatres, it had at least one happy byproduct as Craft Recordings revisited the classic original 1971 film soundtrack with a new
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, Killing Me Softly with Her Song/When Will I See You Again (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music continue celebrating Johnny Mathis' discography with two albums on one CD. 1973's Killing Me Softly with Her Song and 1975's When Will I See You Again both spotlight Mathis' silky interpretations of the day's greatest hits. Killing Me Softly with Her
Can the soundtrack to Shaft get any bigger? "You're damn right!" Isaac Hayes' masterful, chart-topping album comes back in June as a 2CD deluxe edition that features the original double album alongside Hayes' original film score recordings. It's been nearly 50 years since Richard Roundtree first lit up the screen as New York's toughest private detective, John Shaft. In that time, he's reprised the role on TV and in four sequels. (A fifth is due next month; 2019's Shaft follows 2000's Shaft,
Otis Redding's "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," the first Stax single of 1968, should have been a new beginning for the artist and label. Instead, the posthumous release ushered in a tumultuous year for the Memphis institution. The death of Redding and members of The Bar-Kays on December 10, 1967 was a tremendous loss for Stax and popular culture, but no one could have predicted the upheaval that would affect Stax and the city of Memphis in the following twelve months. That time has just
There have been several reissues this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of individual projects released in 1968. But Craft Recordings has announced a box set which celebrates an entire year's worth of material with Stax '68: A Memphis Story, due on October 19. This 5-CD set contains the A- and B-sides of every single released under the Stax Records banner in 1968, including the company's sub-labels, for a total of 120 tracks. Some tracks are by soul legends like Isaac Hayes, The Staple
As a songwriter, producer, arranger, and session pianist, Isaac Hayes was a key architect in creating the sound of Memphis-based Stax Records. But few could have foreseen his dramatic ascendance to superstardom - a rise that began with his 1969 solo album Hot Buttered Soul. Now, that seminal record has returned to vinyl along with 1971's pair of Shaft and Black Moses from Craft Recordings. All three of these landmark LPs have been given the deluxe treatment in both packaging and
Stax Records is rightfully renowned for its catalogue of deep southern soul straight from the heart of Memphis. But, like its famous Detroit competitor Motown, the label founded by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton released music in a variety of sounds and styles. The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (released in 1991 and reissued by Rhino in 2016 was the first major archival box to begin to address the Stax legacy in record-by-record fashion. It was followed by The Complete Stax-Volt Soul
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Concert for George [Various Formats] (Craft Recordings) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/2DVD/2BD/4LP Limited Online Exclusive Box Set: George Harrison Shop The star-studded 2002 concert celebration of the life of George Harrison - featuring Paul McCartney,
On the heels of last year's acclaimed box set The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976), Craft Recordings is returning to the catalogue of soul legend Isaac Hayes with three upcoming vinyl reissues. The seminal trio of Hot Buttered Soul, Shaft, and Black Moses will return to vinyl on February 23 as newly remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters from the original analog tapes. All three titles have been pressed on 180-gram vinyl by Memphis Record Pressing and feature authentic tip-on jackets.
Craft Recordings has been doing great things with the Stax Records catalogue in honor of its 60th anniversary (check out our most recent review of the new Isaac Hayes box set for proof!) - and now, they're continuing a beloved box set series with a new collection of the label's singles. Continuing the trend established by The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 (released in 1991 and reissued by Rhino in 2016), The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 (1993, reissued 2014) and
From its humble beginnings in a Memphis garage sixty years ago to its present-day role as part of the Concord Music Group, Stax Records has persevered through numerous ups and downs to be rightfully recognized as one of the most important labels of the 20th century. After early records concentrated on pop, country, and rockabilly, Stax (so named for founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton) found its niche in R&B, launching the careers of soul legends like Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Sam &
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Rolling Stones, Their Satanic Majesties Request: 50th Anniversary Special Edition (ABKCO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The Rolling Stones' controversial 1967 immersion into psychedelia, Their Satanic Majesties Request, gets a 50th anniversary box set from ABKCO containing the original album in mono and stereo on both 180-gram vinyl and hybrid SACD (playable on all CD players) as newly remastered by Bob Ludwig, plus restored
Having just announced a John Lee Hooker box set, Craft Recordings shows no sign of slowdown, yesterday announcing The Sprit Of Memphis (1962-1976) a 4CD box set devoted to the legendary Isaac Hayes. It's impossible to think about the Stax Records sound--or soul music in the '60s and '70s, really--without considering Isaac Hayes. He helped shape the soul-pop sound of Memphis as a writer and producer, involved with smash hits and immortal cuts like "Hold On! I'm A Comin'," "B-A-B-Y" (a recent
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Jethro Tull, Songs from the Wood: 40th Anniversary Edition - The Country Set (Chrysalis/Parlophone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.) Jethro Tull's 1977 album returns in a new 3CD/2DVD book-style edition, packed with bonus material. Steven Wilson produced new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes heard in this set on CD and DVD, featuring not only the album but bonus tracks too. As per the norm for this series, there's a flat transfer
From deep within the heart of Memphis to your stereo, the rich legacy of Stax Records will be honored this year as two label partners join forces to commemorate the label's 60th anniversary. Rolling Stone reported yesterday a massive campaign to celebrate Stax artists and albums across physical and digital formats. Notably, this initiative will be carried out by both owners of the Stax catalogue: Rhino/Warner Music Group, which controls much of the label's Atlantic-distributed output from
Trumpeter/bandleader Donald Byrd began his career as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers while still pursuing his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music. Upon graduating from both institutions, Byrd played with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and a host of jazz's finest leaders. By 1958, he was leading his own quintet. Twenty years later, however, much had changed for Byrd and the sound of jazz. After a nearly twenty-year association with the venerable Blue Note
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you're enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of family and friends. Of course, from this day which conjures nostalgic and warm feelings comes a celebration of a different kind with this year's annual Black Friday - the day for consumers to start off the holiday shopping season on a mad, frenetic note. But 2016 is just in the latest year in which numerous retailers in the U.S. have made headlines by blackening Thursday, or
Are you making a list and checking it twice? We are! Record Store Day Black Friday is here in less than a month, and this week we're showcasing all of our favorite titles. We've shown you the goods from Legacy, Real Gone, Rhino and Omnivore; now, here are 20 more titles we think you should absolutely check out. There's soundtrack goodies from Varese Sarabande and Light in the Attic; holiday favorites from Bob & Doug McKenzie, Frank Sinatra and "Dolemite" himself; lost gems from Isaac Hayes,
A quartet of recent releases from SoulMusic Records in association with Cherry Red turn the spotlight onto overlooked classics of 1980s R&B. Isaac Hayes' Love Attack (1988) put the hot buttered soul man squarely into Big '80s territory with thumping drum machines and gleaming synthesizers. It was the Stax legend's second album for Columbia Records and built on the sound of his label debut U-Turn on which he'd played almost every instrument on the record. For Love Attack, he was joined
Bring on the B-sides! Despite its title, the massive, indispensable box set The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1964-1968 concentrated on A-sides, presenting only a fraction of the labels' valuable flips. The box left many worthy B-sides overlooked in the CD era, but Ace Records' Kent imprint has redressed that situation with the release of The Other Side of the Trax: Stax-Volt 45 RPM Rarities 1964-1968. All but one of the 24 tracks on this new compilation are all making their official CD
Ace Records has recently celebrated the enduring legacy of Stax Records with a trio of exciting releases from some of the label's leading lights. The Isaac Hayes Movement's 1975 Disco Connection makes its first ever CD appearance, joined by Hayes' songwriting partner David Porter's equally rare 1970 ...Into a Real Thing in a newly-expanded edition. Ace tops it all off with Ian Levine's Solid Stax Sensations, a revelatory collection showcasing the varied sides of the Stax label family. It's
If there's such a thing as a First Family of Soul, it might as well be the combined Houston/Warwick clan. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1933, Emily "Cissy" Drinkard sang gospel with her family as part of The Drinkard Singers, which counted Cissy's sister Lee Warrick among its members. Marie Dionne Warrick was born in 1940 to Lee and her husband Mancel; Delia Mae "Dee Dee" Warrick followed in 1942. Though The Drinkard Singers remain an important part of the history of gospel music, said to